Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan will introduce the “blue ticket” system for cyclists on Wednesday, allowing riders who commit relatively minor traffic violations to avoid criminal punishment by paying fines. The system will cover violators aged 16 and over, imposing fines of

(The fourth paragraph should have read, “…items such as…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Japan’s Industrial Output Falls 2.1 Pct in Feb. Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s industrial production in February fell 2.1 pct from January, down for the

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday instructed related ministers to ensure stable supplies of medical goods made from petroleum products. “I’d like you to hurry up and take measures such as the procurement of alternative products by

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Consumer inflation in central Tokyo slowed to 1.7 pct year-on-year in March, decelerating for the fourth straight month, the Japanese internal affairs ministry said Tuesday. The pace of growth in the core consumer price index in the capital’s

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–While Japan is set to expand its child-rearing aid program from April, households are expected to be hit by a string of price hikes for food products and beverages. Starting Wednesday, the country will launch at full scale

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Consumer inflation in central Tokyo slowed to 1.7 pct year-on-year in March, decelerating for the fourth straight month, the Japanese internal affairs ministry said Tuesday. The pace of growth in the core consumer price index in the capital’s

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in February declined 0.1 percentage point from the previous month to 2.6 pct, marking its first drop in seven months, the internal affairs ministry said Tuesday. The decline is believed to have reflected an

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday deployed a long-range missile system to Ground Self-Defense Force camps in Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures that can be used as a counterstrike capability. At a time when China and other countries are stepping

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Major food makers in Japan plan to raise prices for 2,798 items in April, down 33.8 pct from a year earlier, a survey by Teikoku Databank Ltd. showed Tuesday. The Japanese credit research firm warned that food makers

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–The stereotype of associating pink with women remains deeply entrenched in society, appearing in products such as toys and household goods, as well as in the female characters of the “Power Rangers” superhero series. The trend is often

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average plunged over 1,300 points in morning trading Tuesday, as stocks continue to face selling amid uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East. In the U.S. market on Monday, high-tech stocks were sold

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Group of Seven major democracies, in a communique on Monday, said that they “stand ready to take all necessary measures in close coordination” to preserve the stability and security of the energy market. The communique was compiled

(Adnkronos) – The week restarts with wars, starting with the one that is causing truly global effects, and whose developments are difficult to foresee, the one in Iran. Will the United States send ground troops? Ukraine is also in the spotlight: tomorrow

(Adnkronos) – Donald Trump risks a new clash with the Supreme Court over his attempt to abolish birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visitors to the United States. The controversial case will be discussed Wednesday before the Supreme Court,

(Adnkronos) – 13 people have died in ICE detention centers since the beginning of 2026, while 46 have died since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second presidency. This is the calculation made by the New York Times based on statements released by

(Adnkronos) – The American embassy in Caracas, which had been closed for seven years, is back in operation. The State Department announced: “Embassy operations in Caracas formally resume today. A sign of a new chapter in our diplomatic presence in Venezuela.”  

(Adnkronos) – Italy has slammed a bill legalising capital punishment for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks, which the Israeli parliaement (Knesset) is expected to approve in a vote on Monday.   “Our government, together with those of Germany, France and the United

(Adnkronos) – At least 30 civilians have died in a series of attacks targeting villages in western Niger, near the border with Nigeria. The governor of the Tahoua region, where the attacks took place, announced this on state radio. “Thirty martyrs have

(Adnkronos) – Republicans in Congress are considering cuts to federal healthcare spending to help fund a bill that could include up to $200 billion for the war in Iran and strengthened immigration controls. According to Axios, the operation is part of the

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–A candidate backed by the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party beat the incumbent in the mayoral election in the city of Kiyose in western Tokyo on Sunday. Hiromi Harada, a 50-year-old former city assembly member,

(Adnkronos) – Foreign minister and deputy premier Antonio Tajani on Monday denied Italy’s rightwing government might call early elections after last week’s resounding defeat in a flagship referendum on reforms to the judiciary led to the resignations of several scandal-hit officials.  

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Four Japanese crew members of Japan-related vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz returned home on Monday, Japan’s Foreign Ministry has said. They went ashore in the early

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Supreme Court has upheld lower court rulings sentencing a 27-year-old man to 10 years in prison for attacking then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with an explosive during an election campaign event in April 2023. The Third Petty

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has moved to secure naphtha supplies to avert disruption to medical care amid Middle East fuel concerns, Prime Minister Sane Takaichi said Monday. The government has set up a task force and appointed industry minister

(Adnkronos) – Spain has closed its airspace to flights involved in Operation Epic Fury, launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. Military sources cited by El Pais report this.  According to the sources, the Madrid government has not only banned

(Adnkronos) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Russia to agree to a mutual truce on attacks against energy facilities to help alleviate the global oil crisis triggered by the Israeli-American operation against Iran.  ”If Russia is ready to stop hitting Ukrainian

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government urged China on Monday to lift sanctions against a member of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party who heads a suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers seeking closer ties with Taiwan. The government said that the sanctions

Shizuoka, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Monday indicted without arrest Maki Takubo, former mayor of the city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on suspicions including local autonomy law violation over her alleged academic fraud. Following the indictment by the Shizuoka

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said Friday that the No. 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, will begin commercial operations as early as April 16. The date marks a delay

(Adnkronos) – A ceasefire in the month-long United States-Israel war against Iran will be achieved “hopefully in a matter of weeks” and before a truce in Russia’s more-than-four-year-old invasion of Ukraine, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday.  “In my opinion,